“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
Why salvation must be a gift, and what place good works actually hold in a believer's life.
A gift stops being a gift the moment it is earned. Paul guards that carefully, because the human instinct is to contribute something so that we can hold our heads up.
Notice the reason he gives for excluding works: lest any man should boast. God is not being stingy with credit. He is removing the one thing that would divide the church into the impressive and the unimpressive.
The very next verse keeps the balance. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Works are not the root of salvation; they are the fruit of it. Remove the root and the fruit dies; keep the root and fruit is expected.
So rest in what was given, and then get to work, without confusing the two.
Key points
- Earned gifts are no longer gifts.
- Works are excluded as a basis so that no one can boast.
- Works remain as fruit; grace is the root.
A prayer to close
Father, thank You that salvation is Your gift and not my achievement. Keep me from pride and from idleness alike, and let my life bear the fruit of what You have given. Amen.
